Fatty Liver disease

Fatty liver is a very common chronic liver disease, characterized by an increased amount of fat in the liver. It is mild, benign, reversible and would not cause symptoms. Generally, fatty liver disease has long been considered a benign disease, provided it was not related to the overconsumption of alcohol. But you still need to beware of fatty liver and prevent it from further worse.

PICTURE: Fatty liver is characterized by enlarged, swollen, yellow in color. The normal, healthy liver is redness, not so full like fatty liver.

The fatty liver disease can be classified into two types:

① Alcoholic fatty liver: fatty liver disease is related to the overconsumption of alcohol. This type of fatty liver disease can progress to hepatitis, liver fibrosis and even liver cirrhosis, if alcohol consumption is continued. Then, more symptoms and more severe liver disease symptoms will appear.

② non-Alcoholic fatty liver: This type of fatty liver disease is mainly caused by obesity, also associated with quick dieting/ weight loss. Only a very small proportion of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver will develop into inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver. Diet therapy is the key.

Fatty liver diagnosis

Often, abdominal ultrasound is an important method to suggest a possible presence of fatty liver based on the special imaging features of fatty liver. Blood test is also helpful for alcoholic liver disease. A diagnosis with certainty and check for inflammation or connective tissue formation, a liver biopsy is required.

Enlarged fatty liver

A large number of lipid droplets accumulating in the liver cells will result in fatty liver disease. By this, liver cells are swollen and hence the size of the liver is enlarged. A mild enlarged fatty liver is common in cases of fatty liver, and there are no symptoms, so that they are often discovered by coincidence during routine ultrasound examination in abdomen. If you have a significantly enlarged liver, symptoms will be noticed, manifesting as right upper abdominal fullness, and liver pain.

See also

1. Alcoholic liver disease Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is a major reason for alcoholic liver disease, which includes alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis.
2. Cirrhosis of the liver Cirrhosis is an advanced condition of liver diseases characterized by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative multinodular lumps, which are formed by replacement of the normal liver architecture and cells.
3. Liver cancer
   Liver cancer is a malignant tumor of the liver, that is less common and usually arises in the liver with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis.